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Portland the Weird

April 18, 2010, 1pm PDT

The Economist looks at Portland's "weirdness" with an arched eyebrow, and asks, is this the next great model for the American city?

Mayor Sam Adams "says Portland's success is 'totally replicable'. But much of it seems to be an unintended consequence of land-use policies dating back to 1973. Back then, Oregon adopted 'urban-growth boundaries' (UGBs) to preserve the farmlands that were then the mainstay of Oregon's economy. Over time the rationale for UGBs changed to "don't Californicate Oregon"-ie, don't become Los Angeles, a freeway sprawl with no centre. The result has been unusually compact living, which is in turn easily served by public transport."